Page 60 of Sacrifice the Knight (Checkmate 6)

My brows furrow. “Hmm?”

She sits back, pulling her hand back to her lap. “I told you at the Bishop thing, I only get like one night off a year. I won’t get another for a long time.”

“So here?” I glance around. “I don’t mind having it he–”

“No. Every year, the gym has this thing they call a lock in. Essentially, it’s a massive sleepover for all the kids. The adults supervise; they lock the doors around seven in the evening, and literally no one comes in or out until after breakfast the next day. Mac has done the last couple, and so far so good. No trouble.”

“Okay…”

“The next lock in is this Friday. Since I knew Mac would be having fun with his friends and not in danger or trouble, I picked up another double shift. I was going to work without guilt, ste–”

“Wait.” I set my fork down with a clang. “You feel guilty for working?”

“Yes. I’m here sixteen hours a day most days. No kid wants that life, but…” She shrugs. “We get what we get, and we don’t throw a fit. It’s better than homelessness. Anyway, I was going to steal a slice of the pie after work, and take my ass home to watch a movie and enjoy being alone for an evening.”

And now I’m nervous again. “Well… Would you be willing to waste your free time on me?”

She laughs under her breath and tosses the last of my bacon into her mouth. “If you’re willing to make it a late night, we can do dinner after work. It’d be like eleven-thirty dinner, which is frankly, kinda dumb. But it’s all I’ve got.”

“I’ll take it,” I rush out. “I’ll pick you up from here at the end of your shift?”

“Maybe pick me up at midnight?” she ponders out loud. “Give me time to run home and change. You organize dinner, since I don’t wanna.” She laughs. “For that one single day, I won’t have to choose or make dinner. Then you can pick me up at home?”

“Okay.” I nod like an idiot and remind myself I’m the nerd who still doesn’t know how to speak to women in the daylight. “Our dinner will be in the dark.”

A slow grin spreads across her face. “Yes it will. And most of the world will be asleep.”

“Just us?”

Katrina climbs out of my booth with a grunt, fixes her jeans, re-ties her hair and fixes the scarf. She’s radiant, and that’s terrifying. “Just us, in the dark, no distractions. But no promises either, DeWhit. No commitment. I’m just there for the free food and filthy talk.”

---